Eastern Africa recorded exceptionally strong growth in exports in 2025, with the UN Economic Commission (UNECA) estimating that total regional exports have increased by approximately 14.5 per cent in 2025. Excluding the region’s largest single exporter – the DR Congo - export growth is even stronger at around 19 per cent, UNECA’s latest sub-regional report shows. As a result, several countries have experienced improvements in trade balances and export revenues, despite robust import growth. Burundi recorded the largest rise in exports in 2025, nearly doubling compared with 2024, driven primarily by mineral shipments. The country posted an 89.6 per cent rise in 2025. The island nation of Comoros also experienced a notable increase in its exports (61.5 per cent), led by its exports of cloves (about 70 per cent of merchandise exports), ylang-ylang (used in perfumes) and vanilla. Both Ethiopia and Uganda recorded fast export growth owing to robust performances in both gold and coffee. Ethiopia registered a 38.6 per cent export growth, while Uganda saw a 55.5 per cent rise in exports. Gold and coffee stand out as the principal drivers of export growth across the region, with export prices for both commodities reaching record highs. “Prices for coffee have surged amid global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and this has had a major impact on export revenues,” the report argues. The price of Arabica coffee has increased from $4.47 per kilogramme at the beginning of 2024 to around $9 per kilogramme at the end of last year, according to World Bank Commodities Price Data. Over the past year, gold exports have consequently increased significantly in countries such as Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda and Tanzania. Gold prices generally increased from $2,034 per ounce in 2024 to $4,752.8 per ounce in 2025. On the contrary, Rwanda, Somalia, Madagascar, and Seychelles, recorded decline in export growth, with Rwanda registering the highest decline at 23.5 per cent. Minerals dominate The share of minerals in Eastern Africa’s exports has increased dramatically. In 2009, minerals accounted for approximately 20 per cent of exports. Today, that figure stands at around 53 per cent. Even within the original East African Community Member States, UNECA shows that minerals account for around 36 per cent of exports. The trend is not limited to one or two countries. Burundi, Eritrea, Madagascar, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda all show rising mineral dependence. While this has provided short-term relief by boosting export revenues, the report cautions that it also increases vulnerability to price volatility and external shocks. UNECA argues that “this is not necessarily the direction the region would want to move in over the long term. Mineral revenues can provide breathing space, but dependence is not a sustainable development strategy.”
